I wear Hermes 24 Faubourg in Fall/Winter and my favorite Jo Malone of the moment in Spring/Summer

I have a mini of the Hermes. It was part of a set sent to me by a friend.

You can prevent perfume from going bad by making sure it is tightly closed and kept out of excess heat and sunlight. The latter is the more destructive force, especially for scents that have more natural than chemical ingredients. I have a splash bottle of Emeraude (EDC, 8 oz) purchased in the 80s and it's still good.

The other issue about scent is application method. Sprays are always best because the contents of the bottle stays uncontaminated by body oil and skin flakes.

I started out with perfume oils because of Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs but something about their blends do not agree with my nose. Then I found possets and fell in love! (not affiliated but a very happy customer)

I have about 30 bottle from BPAL, and really love and adore abut 10 of them. The best part for me is that they don't go bad. I could never get through a bottle of regular perfume before it started to change, plus the spray scents are, for some reason, likely to give me a mild headache after about 45 minutes.

But the oils are just wonderful!

I have about 70 imps/bottles but they are 5ml so it wouldn't apply to this poll according to the OP's guidelines. But I love the pure scents and now when I put on the alcohol based ones, I can smell the alcohol in them. I think I still have like 2 bottles of the regular perfume. Halloween and Paris. Oh and Duende. So 3.

I have a few that are quite old. I probably should check and see if they are still good.

My husband is allergic to anything with a scent, especially botanicals. The more botanical, the worse the response. Herbal Essence shampoo, for example, is a major problem for him.

I learned early in our relationship that if I wore perfume, his response would not be, "Gee, you smell good," it was invariably, "What's that smell?"

So much for the allure of scent....

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"The Universe puts us in places where we can learn. They are never easy places, but they are right. Wherever we are, it's the right place and the right time. Pain that sometimes comes is part of the process of constantly being born." - Delenn to Sheridan: "Babylon 5 - Distant Star"

My husband is allergic to most scents, up until a few months ago I would have put 0. My SIL works at Rue 21 and she asked him to do an experiment and see if certain scents were OK around him or not. Then she sold them to me. Anything for a sale Though it is nice to put on a spritz before work most mornings.

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“A real desire to believe all the good you can of others and to make others as comfortable as you can will solve most of the problems.” CS Lewis

I have 3 perfumes, and these days I use only one. My DH is a bit of a baby about perfume; I have to use my own atomizer because the one my perfume came in does too good of a job, and he complains about inhaling the perfume particles that didn't hit me. (Not that I really mind, it was an excuse to buy another bulb atomizer!)

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“Poetry is a sword of lightning, ever unsheathed, which consumes the scabbard that would contain it.” PBS

I can't really wear perfume anymore; its a bit too strong for me, but I still do every now and again. I keep them mainly because they are on a pretty tray on my vanity and look nice! There are a couple of exceptions; I love Fresh Sugar Lemon, and there are several by Pacifica, mainly their Bali Lime Papaya. They smell nice, but are light and don't aggrevate my sinuses.

My preference is body spray from BBW, along with their shower gels. They don't smell too strong either, so I can use them.

I think these poll numbers are pretty skewed because they're based on a thread on a perfume forum! In my experience reading those forums, those folks are perfume/fragrance nuts in a way I'm pretty sure 99% of the population isn't.

I have 3: Lolita Lempicka, Givenchy Ange ou Demon Le Secret and Lolita Lempicka Forbidden Flower. I think I'm going to buy Burberry Brit or another less sweet scent for my new job.

The friend who worked in retail for so long probably has about a thousand. She gave me half of what I've had during the past 20+ years. She is afraid to do an inventory, as she has -- by her description -- two closets full. I'm not even close to that, but I probably have the most of anyone here.

The friend who worked in retail for so long probably has about a thousand. She gave me half of what I've had during the past 20+ years. She is afraid to do an inventory, as she has -- by her description -- two closets full. I'm not even close to that, but I probably have the most of anyone here.

Honest question: how long do they last? Since I don't wear/buy perfume, I have no experience with them. Does the scent fade with time? Or is it still good as long as the bottle is unopened, (like wine)?

Used to love perfume but now it makes me nauseated and gives me a headache. I even have to give away some laundry detergent because it made my clothes too perfumey. The only thing I can take is pink grapefruit body spray by BBW.